For the nearly 90 members of the Class of 2013, graduation marked not necessarily a conclusion, but a beginning. And the new journey is all about exploration.

Millis High School Senior Class President Cayley Moynihan quoted an essay Thursday night by Ralph Waldo Emerson, saying “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

“There are no better words to describe the support that we’ve had at Millis High School,” Moynihan said, thanking her teachers for never giving up on their students.

The senior speaker, Uchechukwu Osuagwu, also thanked her teachers, because “they had to deal with 86 kids with senioritis” this year.

“Life is short and opportunities are indeed rare,” she said, urging her classmates to take advantage of every opportunity and to “see the world ahead of us and live life to the fullest.”

Class Salutatorian Jill Metzger said this was the day she and her classmates have thought about “as soon as [they] stepped foot into Millis High School” for their senior year.

“This is the end of the beginning, rather than the beginning of the end. … To the class of 2013, go do something that makes you happy and don’t let anyone stop you,” Metzger said.

Anna Doyle, the class Valedictorian, said that the decisions she and her classmates will make in the future will have an impact on the world in some way.

“Take everything you learned from Millis in the past 12 years,” Doyle said. “Be aware of the world and yourselves.”

Nancy Gustafson, superintendent of Millis Public Schools, spoke about a story in Time magazine that “accused” the generation of the class of 2013 of being narcissists. However, she noted that “senior prank day” became “senior thanks day” this year.

“Prove Time magazine wrong,” Gustafson said.

Principal Robert Mullaney urged the grads not to look at graduation as an ending.

“Commencement is a beginning,” he said. “Each of you will be beginning a new phase of life’s journey and moving forward in a world where change is swift an inevitable.

“Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself,” he added, asking the grads to “see the good in people.”